Nikosian Legacy
by TheKirkyLife
Summary: Scypio is a conflicted man. Plagued by the events as depicted in RWBY: Volume 3 he must not only come to terms with the death of his sister, Pyrrha, but find his place again in a time where his skills are desperately required yet many do not wish him to help. Though the star pupil has passed, her Nikosian Legacy lives on in this story spanning the past, present and future.
1. Prologue: Darkness In Halcyon

_The Striding Horse_ was empty in the late evening on a day perfect for land-based traders to make good headway down the Mistral Trade Route. Not even the regulars from nearby town Halcyon had made the trip to share the stories of their day and recall times of old. It was as unsettling a time as Scypio could recall whilst the bartender wiped down a spotless surface. His black gloves were as clean as when they had come out of the wash this morning; at least he could get away with wearing the same pair tomorrow. It's the little victories that count after recent events.

The fall of Vale played heavy on the minds of everyone across Remnant who had even caught a snippet of events whether by television picture, radio transmission or word of mouth. It took little reasoning to figure out why nobody wanted to go outside of their own homes let alone come along to a place of good times. A mirror hung on the wall opposite to Scypio when he looked up. In two years of working and living at the _Horse_ he had never stopped to notice the slightly cracked piece of furniture. Reflected in the distance he could see the slightly muscular figure of himself dressed up in a casual black jacket. Short brown hair with a small quiff at the front, a distinguished jaw, an air of confidence. Piercing, vivid green eyes looked back at his own for what seemed like minutes until the twenty-year-old pulled away, poured out a glass of his favorite cider and went to sit down in the grand table located in the middle of the room. Mind wandering towards dark thoughts it was almost as if he could afford to cry for a bit.

"You alright there, Scypio?" Questioned Jason who had arrived standing over the table. The slender yet fit, older gentleman had entered unnoticed carrying two full bags. His six-shooter pistols rested in their hip-bound holsters and his relatively deep tone cut through the air. Scypio jumped at the question, snapping out of his trance in a rather unsubtle fashion. "Yes, of course professor." Jason looked back down at his ex-pupil, slightly concerned for the man forty years his junior. The title of 'professor' hadn't crossed his lips for a year and a half. "A perfectly fine individual doesn't call his friend and more relevantly a retired, old man 'professor'!" Jason chuckled. Perusing over the eyes of the young bar man he could see sadness, reflection and the loss of a fire which seemed almost impossible to put out at times. Noticing a faded Beacon logo on the shirt underneath Scypio's jacket, the old man felt a great sense of pity overwhelm him. Placing his groceries down, he went over to the bar and poured out a pint of Havermeyer Lager; a rarely used boost for big occasions. This was going to be a long night and he needed all the help he could get.

Sitting down across the table from Scypio, Jason sipped from his glass and looked upon the young adult. The two had grown so close in the near enough four years they had known each other and as much as he hated to admit it, Scypio looked up to his old teacher as an uncle-like figure. Always there for the guidance he could never quite learn from his parents. Breathing deeply, Jason dived in uncertain of the response he would receive. "It's about Pyrrha, isn't it?" A tear dripped onto the table below the face of a beaten man. Scypio Nikos took his time before rising in his chair, his eyes shimmering whilst they watered up and his usual gung-ho smile was long gone replaced by an uncharacteristic frown of sadness. A person afraid of showing his emotions he chose to gaze away, over towards a window, before turning back to look at Jason. "Yeah..." Having never been in a situation anything like this Jason was deeply unsure of how to proceed. Perhaps trying to relate would be the best direction to go. "What are you feeling, son? I fe-" The interruption was abrupt, sharp and cold but by no means emotionless. Rather the opposite. "She disowned me, Jason. My little sis' thought the one person who she could always trust betrayed her. Not once in these two years did she ever visit me. Not once in these two years did she ever say she loved me. Not once in these two years could I ever say I loved her. Regret, anger, sadness and emptiness is what I'm feeling. It's like black dust continues to burn inside me because Pyrrha is dead and I couldn't protect her."

Scypio's fists clenched on the table. The quietly spoken outburst jarred Jason. He'd never experienced such a professional individual in such a raw state. A wave of relief rushed over the experienced Huntsman though; he'd been accepted and let in. Childhood memories rushed back in bright colors of how his mother in Vacuo had always been there to listen even in his toughest moments through training. If there was any inspiration to be taken from the sixty or so years he had spent on Remnant then surely the woman he had trusted the most would be the person to give it.

"Well firstly, don't you dare go thinking that you could have save-"

Scypio's fists alone almost hit the table through the floor. Giant dents revealed themselves as his chair flew backwards and enraged hands started gesturing. "I COULD HAVE TRIED THOUGH! I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND I COULD HAVE TRIED TO SAVE MY SISTER!" The silence that washed over the room was more disturbing than ever. Arms fell to the sides of a warrior who's emotions were spent. A feeble voice escaped the mouth. "I could have tried..."

In all of this, Jason remained seated and calm knowing all too well the feeling of helplessness his friend was experiencing. "If you tell yourself that then you shall never come to terms with her passing, Scypio. I can't stop you from believing what you like but this force we are talking about is the new Fall Maiden at the very least! If reports are to be trusted this giant Grimm dragon seemed to take quite kindly to her by not destroying Beacon tower in the first place so if in the worst case scenario we assume you were not only facing one of the most powerful individuals on the planet but one of the most powerful Grimm in existence then, with all due respect to your abilities, I don't think the two Nikos siblings would stand much of a chance.

His stubborn nature defeated, Scypio breathed a deep sigh before gathering up his chair and returning to the table, his head sunk once again. He knew the truth as much as anyone in the know.

"She meant a lot to you, didn't she? Even after everything that happened?"

"Of course. I didn't talk about her much, I realize that and so I don't expect you to understand, but she was the most perfect sister you could ever hope for. I thrived on seeing her grow into everything I knew she could be."

"She achieved so much of what she wanted though."

"Of course she had and every single person who trains as a Huntsman or Huntress knows the risks when they sign up. Yet even as a relative of someone who has paid the ultimate price, to know that there is no body to bury, no time to mourn properly, no chance she could have survived. I truly feel worthless right now."

Jason looked down at his drink. The bubbles soared through the liquid and it's strong aroma found easy passage through his thin, white goatee and up to his slender nose. It was a real treat, that was for sure. Upon reconsideration however, Jason didn't need it. Now was the time to listen. The old man pushed aside his large glass and placed both elbows on the table, hands clasped into a ball.

"Go on, son. You might as well let it all out. It's okay to not be the rock sometimes."

Scypio looked directly into Jason's misty, blue eyes. "I don't think you realize sometimes how much it pains me to be here, Jason. Exiled from major society and barred from doing your job due to a perceived public opinion. You, I and Ozpin are the only ones to know exactly why this situation is as it is now and receiving the news about Pyrrha's death from Qrow of all people...it was his duty to deliver that information, not his own initiative. I lived a life of excitement and so much potential in every area, seeing my little sister grow up being one of the most anticipated. I led my own team I mean how cool is that? Scypio Nikos the leader of his own squad! Yet now I reside in Halcyon, the vanilla ice cream of Remnant, wilting away as the world falls apart around me. You would never understand the sick feeling churning me up every night even if you tried."

"Then tell me about it, Scypio. Help me understand." A smile broke out across Jason's slightly wrinkled face. "Or am I really that senile already?"

Scypio looked across to the same window and closed is eyes. Breathing deeply, he let out his first smile of the past few days and relaxed back.

"I guess it's best to begin at Sanctum."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I can't quite believe myself that I have written a piece of fanfiction. A big creative wave just came over me and I simply had to do something about it. If you enjoyed my work then that's really all I could ever ask for. I've only very recently found myself interacting with other parts of the community and it has been such a rewarding experience, to give something back is a fantastic feeling for me even if it is only one and a half thousands words at this stage in time._

 _Since this was a prologue I intended it to be not too short but very much giving off the aura of an introduction. You have now met the main character of Scypio (pronounced 'Si-pee-oh' for those who are interested or confused) and not only will we be exploring his character but hopefully giving you further insight into established characters with Pyrrha being an evident candidate. Just how long this will go on for is anybody's guess at this rate but for the moment I have a pipeline of six chapters at least._

 _I'd love to know all of your thoughts if you're willing to share! Hope you all have a lovely day and keep moving forward!_

 **Fun Fact**

 _Although I do not want to spoil too much for the character ahead, Scypio is based off a real person from history. Just consider than Pyrrha is Greek-based and have a ponder of where I might go with that! Maybe he's not Greek-based? Who's knows?! I do._


	2. Chapter 1: Better Times

_Six years ago..._

A brief flash of metal flung through the air as _Imperium_ was swung to meet the uppercut strike of _Arc D'or_ ; the two colliding in mid-motion and creating a loud, clanking noise that rang through the school courtyard mist causing a large disturbance on what was a calm and brisk, early Fall evening. The two warriors wielding the impressive weapons were flung apart and landed as gracefully as each other taking a few moments to breath and assess their next potential moves. The sparring match had been in session for some time now with both combatants depleted on energy. A young girl watched on in awe so very eager for them not to stop; enthralled by the skills on display. _Imperium_ was raised above the head of the helmeted combatant, who in doing so switched to a defensive stance raising his shield _Invictus_ , and angled towards a female who bore a black beret, sunglasses and a flowing, long black coat. A smirk emerged on the face of this woman who's sword-like weapon was sharply transformed into its regular form of a beautifully crafted bow. Picking out three red dust infused arrows from the quiver down by her right hip she then proceeded to nock the lot of them taking care to angle her ranged masterpiece with a slight left slant in order to cover any sudden movement from the opponent she faced. The young girl was awash with excitement but was soon to be mildly disappointed.

Scypio relaxed and let down his guard taking to his left hip in order to sheath _Imperium_ and placing _Invictus_ in a more compact state on his back. Helmet removed, his eyes glistened from the light of the sinking sun though he looked visibly worn out.

"I think that's all for today, Aera. Great job out there though; we're going to ace the tournament for sure!"

Aera's smirk only grew wider as she removed the three arrows from _Arc D'or's_ string and proceeded to put them back in the quiver they had only just been removed from. She strolled towards her best friend running the weapon along her left arm and resting it on her shoulder.

"If that had been anyone else in my family you'd been facing that pretty face of yours would have been flat on the floor!" The teenage girl laughed and continued to speak with a warm tone. "Us Apolliniens don't tend to show much mercy even in test matches such as this."

A cheeky smile broke out across the face of the young male. "Good thing you're a weird Apollinien then isn't it?"

That retort earned Scypio a firm punch in the shoulder though the two laughed it off and headed towards the young girl on the wall. She didn't remain on it for long as she jumped off and ran towards the two with a slightly discontent face; her long, red hair fluttering behind her as a crisp breeze caught it. Stopping in front of the two friends her face looked upwards towards Scypio with equally vivid, green eyes.

"Why did you two stop?"

The tone in which Pyrrha asked this question was more associated with a scenario like her brother pretending to forget buying her a birthday gift for the year. It seemed illogical that the fight ended where it did. Scypio just ruffled his sister's hair and replied with a phrase she heard all too often these days.

"We do need rest eventually, Pyrr. How could we compete well in two weeks time if we went all out every day?"

The dissatisfied, first year student at Sanctum folded her arms and followed the two as they continued out of the courtyard and back towards their cafeteria. The school ran rather uniquely in the context of others across Remnant since it acted as both a regular and boarding school. In the second half of the year all students remained on site to not only study but prepare for the annual Mistral Regional Tournament. First and second years, such as Pyrrha, were not allowed to compete as they were still in the process of making their first weapons. For third years like Scypio and Aera however this would be their first taste of competitive battles. The two had become close in what was coming up to three years of training and studying with both dreaming of travelling to Beacon Academy in Vale after they graduated where they could eventually form a fully fledged team. Even their combat styles and weaponry choices complimented each other to perfection. Two fighters made to cover each other's weaknesses.

Pyrrha looked on as the two talked and laughed together like old friends meeting in a tavern for the first time in years. She idolized her brother and his friendships even more than his fighting style which with a stubborn mind was something that the Huntress in-the-making was going to replicate and master. Maybe it was the devotion to her craft and her brother that ultimately led to her not making many friends. Everybody was more focused on her incredible potential than the girl herself. It's why she couldn't afford to stray too far from Scypio; he was the only one who truly cared for _Pyrrha_ , not one of the most promising young talents in Sanctum's long history. Lost in thought she was quite surprised to walk straight into the back of Aera as the two had stopped to re-evaluate their plans for the evening.

"Steady on there, Red!" Aera cheerfully exclaimed. The nickname was more of a comfort for the archer than fun for Pyrrha. With no siblings to call her own Aera felt like one of the family with the Nikos' and fit in well thankfully. She continued conversing with Scypio. "So you're not hungry?"

"Nah. Besides I should really spend some time with Pyrr. Left her studying all day today which Mother and Father would not approve of."

"Alright then! Goodnight!"

The two hugged and split off in either direction at the split of the hall with Pyrrha in pursuit of Scypio. The two quickly arrived at their quaint room featuring posters of mythical legends of history scattered across the wall and a bunk bed pushed away into the corner. Books were scattered across their desk covering multiple topics from the creatures of Grimm to weapon design. _Invictus_ and then _Imperium_ were laid up against the wall before the door was closed behind the two. A now evidently shattered Scypio trudged towards the lower bunk and slumped down on it before turning lazily onto his back. He gazed into the wooden plank above which supported his sister's bunk. Pyrrha was concerned and walked up beside him.

"You're not okay, are you?"

Her brother hesitated slightly before responding. "What if I don't win?"

This response surprised Pyrrha. Scypio had never been the type to doubt his own abilities.

"Then that's okay."

"But is it really? I know how much our parents expect of me. How much _you_ expect of me. If I don't win the tournament I will have let everyone down."

He really was silly sometimes. Despite being such a nice guy, despite being such an accomplished fighter there was still a dark, nagging thought in the back of his mind. What if Scypio Nikos failed his family and friends? Nobody needed to explain why nothing would happen again so Pyrrha simply got on the bed beside her brother and cuddled up to him. Often finding herself enthralled in studies of the world of Remnant, myths, legends and everything rooted in fact, Scypio was the only person who truly understood her and so she felt determined to make sure that kindness was reciprocated. At the very least she knew how to make him happy.

"Yup. It would be so bad I'd have to not call you my brother any more!"

A smile broke out along Scypio's face and he cuddled Pyrrha close.

"I knew it!" He played along and tried and to push any lingering thoughts away. "So, have you made any more progress on your end of year project?"

"Oh I have!" Pyrrha had been eager to share this news for a few hours now. "I think I want to have a shield just like you but with a spear or something as my weapon! I've even got names for them! _Akoúo̱_ and _Miló_!"

Scypio chuckled. "Oh? And how did you manage to come up with those two silly names?" He knew in truth but loved to tease her.

"You know! Speak and Listen. Mom taught some of the ancient languages to us back at home and those were two of the words I remembered today."

Scypio hummed in acknowledgement before ushering his sister away to get ready for sleep. He loved learning about her day but she was right that he shouldn't be worried about anything. Before he could even consider a thought of such he fell asleep into calmness.

* * *

 _Two weeks pass..._

* * *

"Oh and Aera Apollinien _bows_ out of the competition after that mighty knock-out blow from Lance Galahad!"

The tournament had been slightly tarnished by the announcer's horrendous commentary all week but to Scypio the loss of Aera facing him in the grand final was a real blow. The two had worked so hard to be on top of their game but in the end it still hadn't been enough. Aera picked herself up off the floor and walked back towards Lance heavily disappointed. The two shook hands before she looked towards Scypio and Pyrrha in the audience, barely mustering a smile and waving, before solemnly heading towards the exit.

"This is it, Scyp! All you have to do is beat that guy and you've won the entire tournament!"

Pyrrha was incredibly excited about the prospect of her brother winning the whole thing. Her belief had shot up more now after the penultimate bout before the match that would close out the school year. Aera was a hugely accomplished fighter in her own right now out of contention and she had seen weaknesses to Lance's game plan that Scypio could easily exploit with his more close-range fighting style. The young man looked much more concerned about his friend however than the upcoming bout.

"I hope Aera is okay." He muttered. "This is going to be a big mental hurdle to get over."

"She'll be fine!" Pyrrha was determined to keep her brother upbeat. "We'll just all go out for food later or something! Besides, you've got to get ready yourself. Final match is so soon!"

Despite the worry for Aera, Scypio conceded that his sister was absolutely right for not the first time in the tournament. Following his opening round victory, Pyrrha had taken the time to analyse every fighter he would come up against next and had discussed strategies with him on how to beat them. The ease of each victory up until this point was in large part down to her. With the girl who he knew better than anyone and Lance the only possible remaining combatants left to face him prior to the second semi-final he already knew the plans that could earn him a place in the history books as the youngest competitor ever to win the Mistral Regional Tournament. He just had to believe in himself and go for it.

Bidding farewell for now to his sister, who responded with a big hug and well wishes, Scypio traveled down to preparation room. He strolled in front of his locker and punched in his code opening up the storage unit to take out _Imperium_ and _Invictus_. Bearing the two felt right, as if he was meant to do this for a living. A deep breath. A clalm mind. Scypio Nikos' time was now. Before his time however he needed to comfort his friend. Aera sat a short distance away and looked more miserable the closer he got to her. Almost instantly after sitting down on the bench the girl who displayed such bravado so often broke down in tears compelling the Huntsman-in-training to be a friend very briefly before battle. He didn't say a word as he hugged her. She didn't need reassurance that everything was going to be okay, just that he understood what was happening now. Breaking away, Scypio looked into her sore eyes.

"I'll win this for both of us. That's a promise."

Sniffling, Aera smirked and nodded before getting up and heading to the stands to take Scypio's place alongside Pyrrha. She wanted to be there to see Lance annihilated.

Just a short while later the two finalists stood side by side on stage. Scypio peered over at his silver-armor clad opponent studying in particular his weapon. The lengthy, sharp, spear-like creation guarded his wielding hand well. As its alternate form was a high pressure sniper rifle the more close-quarter specialized combatant knew full well that if he was to get in close that it was his fight to lose.

The gong sounded. Heartbeats slowed. Faces met. Quiet.

Scypio startled Lance by charging straight at him with shield raised; for a generally defensive-minded fighter this was completely out of the ordinary. The knight raised his weapon in a shocked response trying to piece together in his mind how he should reflect this assault. Before even getting a chance however _Invictus_ was under his spearhead and pushing it to the side as _Imperium_ swung upwards delivering a solid strike onto his chest plate knocking the stunned finalist aback. There was no chance to breathe as Scypio's attack was relentless. Lance raised his weapon to become a makeshift barrier as with a gladiatorial savagery the centurion twisted and turned and swung his sword from any and all directions. The onslaught progressed further and further towards the edge of the arena before Lance's patience snapped and broke his guard long enough to re-establish a position of safety some distance away from Scypio. Breathing heavier it was painfully obvious that without the help of his semblance there would be no victory, no glory. He stored away onto his back the only apparent source of attack the knight held much to the confusion of the audience though his reasoning for doing so became very clear. Lance's body began to glow with a scarlet aura.

"Come on then, where's all the aggression gone?" Teased the knight.

Scypio smiled. All was falling into place exactly as predicted.

"I was just wondering the same about your weapon! I'm a little tired though, maybe you could attack me next rather than I doing all the work?"

Teeth ground together and Lance lunged towards Scypio. If there was one thing guys with big egos couldn't refuse it was a challenge. It was one the promising talent was now destined to lose. Scypio began dodging the punches of Lance and almost felt a sense of pity as he could see his opponent tiring at an alarming rate. The bright scarlet aura suggested that his semblance of 'Stand Fast' had activated effectively making him invulnerable. The 'stand' bit was important to note however as any movement would begin to put a huge strain on his body. Lance was a good fighter there was no doubting that; but a smart fighter he was not. The once confident tournament favorite slowed. And slowed. And slowed. Clocking their position on the arena Scypio simply walked around the beaten man and clean kicked him outside of the boundaries.

Silence. The manner of the victory was underwhelming as much as it was startling.

* * *

 _Present day..._

* * *

"Don't get me wrong the stadium soon erupted and the rest of the evening flashed by as I received my rewards, enjoyed the spotlight with Aera and Pyrrha; something changed that day in me though."

Jason sat back in his chair attempting to piece together everything he had just heard and form some sort of response.

"Well it sounds like you loved your sister dearly, it sounds like Aera and you went further back than I first imagined and it sounds like you were a worthy winner of that tournament. What could have affected you that much?"

"Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha? She helped you out is all? Like any excellent sibling would!"

"That's the point though. Any ordinary sibling wouldn't have thought twice about it. Everyone was applauding me yet I could only look towards her and try to speculate just how much of that success was down to her research." Scypio got up and walked over to the window. He gazed out into the darkness seeing his solemn face reflecting back at him. "I've been praised so much over the years. Scypio, you're a great leader. Scypio, you're such a good friend. Scypio, you're the best brother anyone can hope for. At the end of it all though, in this job which I had dedicated my life to, the one thing you wanted to hear is that you were an incredible Huntsman. That you looked like one of the best. As I took in all of my thoughts on that arena floor the niggling feeling not showing any sign of disappearing was that my sister was going to become one of the greats and I wasn't."

Jason got up and strolled alongside his former student looking down at him from the right.

"You mean to tell me you were jealous?"

"In a sense, yes. After that I felt myself piling further pressure onto each and every one of my training sessions looking to keep ahead of her before she caught up. We definitely started to become a little more individual after that. I had to learn to stomach my pride for the first time in my life and that made for a slightly difficult following year."

Jason was somewhat surprised by this admission. For all of Scypio's positive attributes his ability to admit to mistakes had always been somewhat lacking during his time at Beacon. This reflection was a sign of just how far he had come.

"So you became more independent? I get that. Didn't you win the tournament the following year though?"

"I did."

"Surely that was a success based on your own merit then?

"Indeed. I retained my crown without any help."

"So why do you sound as if your sister fully overcame you then? Like you're not worthy enough to step out of her shadow?"

"She did when she got the chance, Jason. In our third year of studying together; that's when Pyrrha Nikos became a star."


	3. Chapter 2: The Journey Taken

_Four years ago..._

Encircling the school of Sanctum was a large, wall-like mountain range dominated largely by forest areas. The backdrop proved to be a popular destination for tourists to the region let alone students to the school. Only those who were enrolled and in training were allowed to, let alone dare, step foot onto the imposing scenery which was well known to be inhabited by the creatures of Grimm. Such monsters didn't scare the young, teenage Pyrrha who was making good progress up one of the inner mountain paths. After a day of trekking through man-made tunnels and treacherous natural formations the forest area was only an hour away. Or it would be if Scypio was willing to continue at the same pace as her. As the budding Huntress reached a relatively large circular area, home to a stunning view overlooking the school below as well as the city of Troja many miles away, she looked back in disappointment as her brother traveled up the path nonchalantly. Out of all the fifth years available Pyrrha wouldn't have dared look past her brother to join her for the third years' first semester assignment. Ignoring a breakdown of regular communication between the two over the last year in particular, Scypio still held the accolade of two-time winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament and truly was one of Sanctum's most promising products with sharp battle smarts and a calm head. With Scypio's experience and her enthusiasm the race to find their assigned robotic boarbatusk before the many other teams scattered among the range was surely to be won in record time. How could he not be going all out on the crucial ascension towards their selected camp site?

"Scypio!" Pyrrha's use of his full, first name was enough to suggest she was frustrated. Her gloved hands placed firmly on her miniskirt-covered hips confirmed it. Quickening his pace, Scypio replied back.

"You don't seem to get the point of this assignment do you?" After reaching his sister the more muscular centurion than that of two years ago laid down the combined camping equipment of the two. "You know what I told you! It's a-"

"All about the journey and discovering more about yourself. If I hadn't known the point before today I sure would now." Pyrrha folded her arms which was met by a small chuckle and a warm hug from her brother.

"I'm sorry, sis! You know I would love to win too but just relax okay? We won't be able to do anything if we're running ourselves into the ground on day one."

Impatience turned to acceptance and the young girl hugged her brother back. It was a typical Scypio attitude and exactly why she had brought him along. Just two years ago he was telling her of the benefits to not going all out before a tournament and he went on to win one. In truth she was just pleased to have some quality time with him.

After a short rest the two continued upwards whilst the sun fell the other way under the curvature of landscape. Stars began to litter the sky above whilst the students made their way into the forest and set up camp in a relatively open space well away from any of the Grimm hot spots. It was an evening that was filled with gossip, teasing and the sharing of dreams once again; one of those nights which filled Pyrrha's heart with hope that things could go back to the way they used to be. As with all things however they must surely come to an end eventually and as hard as the two Nikoses fought, they both lost the battle against their tired minds.

The following morning, Scypio's eyes creaked open to the site of a tent roof above whilst his nose was treated to the vivid and unmistakable smell of the legendary Nikosian Omelette. The sixteen-year-old mused to himself quite how he'd ended up inside the tent since he certainly didn't remember falling asleep inside. It was shortly dismissed as a pointless question. Yet, as Scypio moved out of his sleeping bag and peered outside of the makeshift home, it was a question that was answered nonetheless. There was Pyrrha, already geared up, cooking breakfast with the pan completely out of her hands. It was almost as if she was controlling it through sheer willpower. The gears slowly started to turn inside the young Huntsman's head; realization breaking through into his still darkened mind like the piercing light in his room back home when his mother thought that his 'beauty' sleep had gone on for long enough. His sister had discovered her semblance before him. The pan clanked down onto the gauze as the red head clocked the appearance of Scypio, the sharp noise quickly replaced by a silence of anxiety and awkwardness. More questions ran amok in the mind of a a young man who was already beginning to recline back into the hardened shell built up over the past year. How long had she known? Why hadn't she told him already? Would he ever discover his own? What to say now?

"I'm sorry. I really, truly am so sorry." Pyrrha's voice trembled as if it was crossing an unstable bridge, terrified at the prospect of her own brother turning against her. She knew full well that her incredible development at Sanctum troubled him greatly. Why else would relations between the two have become so cold since his first tournament victory? She watched on with uncertainty as Scypio drew himself out of tent and to his feet. His expression was one of a lost man yet he seemed larger and more intimidating than usual.

"How long?"

The questioner sounded defeated.

"Maybe a week or so."

The response equally so.

Scypio closed his eyes and collected his muddled thoughts together. There were many ways to go about the scenario which he had dreaded for months now but there wasn't any time to mull over it now. He had to do what came to him that instant and so he walked over to Pyrrha slowly, his eyes opening and looking into the petrified, vivid green eyes of someone who had the potential to become one of the greatest fighters of all time. His right hand placed itself onto her bare, left shoulder; the shivering was noticeable. Albeit with great effort, Scypio managed a smile.

"I'm so proud of you. Congratulations."

It amused him somewhat that Pyrrha didn't quite know how to respond. Heavens above knew what she was actually expecting from this particular encounter. In the end she closed her own eyes and then looked up at Scypio with a smile of her own. The offer of peace needn't be inquired about.

"Thank you, Scyp. Honestly."

"Don't mention it." His gaze floated over to the camp fire. "Those omelettes smell absolutely divine, Pyrrha. Let's eat up and head out!"

The young girl nodded before returning to the work she had started. The older boy looked to seat himself. That sickening feeling hadn't gone away but he'd done the right thing. There was no point in compromising the assignment over petty emotions like jealousy and envy. Many students discovered their semblances by pure accident. Others more lucky inheriting family traits and were taught how to use them accordingly. Pyrrha's polarity shared some characteristics with her father's semblance but she wasn't to have known that. Looking down at the ground, Scypio came to the only logical solution; he had a semblance too so it was only a matter of time before he discovered his own. Patience was the skill he required most in this moment.

On full stomachs, the Nikos siblings packed up their camp and headed deeper into the mountain's forest. The tree cover grew so much so that only small cracks allowed sunlight to seep through and illuminate the area. The Grimm encountered along the way were not much of a challenge. In a time of peace and hope their power was so minimal that Scypio could teach his sister how to take down regular boarbatusk and ursa variants with little trouble. Hours of path finding and tracking their robotic prey down eventually led to a small crater of sorts completely devoid of any trees. Like snipers of the Great War the two crawled up to the edge and peaked in to see their target resting in the middle. What wasn't so exciting was what blocked their path to it.

"A death stalker." Scypio grimaced. This was the first time even he had seen one for real. Beside him, Pyrrha's eyes lit up.

"Win the challenge _and_ take down a death stalker!" Though her words were hushed the excitement behind them was evident. "Oh Scyp think about it! We'll be the envy of everyone!"

The elder of the two turned and looked at his sister as if she were insane. "Or coming home in a casket."

Looking back into the crater, the different options from here on out jolted through Scypio's head like some complicated design on a butterfly's wings. Some lines splitting off, some merging together; no one solution was clear. The Grimm was clearly wounded with its right claw ever so slightly buckled in but apart from that it looked healthy and agile. This was likely its home also so waiting wouldn't do any good. Then again it wasn't the biggest death stalker he'd seen in pictures. As much as he didn't want to tackle it head on, to win the challenge it could be the only way. He turned back towards Pyrrha.

"Okay, we're taking it on." The young girl was desperate to respond yet Scypio needed to get his instructions across. "You follow my lead though. You are a talented fighter and you know your semblance but out here when a real battle starts its the experience that counts. Understood?"

Pyrrha's heart sank as naturally she wanted to impress a brother who had taught her most of what she knew. She nodded begrudgingly in agreement. The young man smiled and nodded back before motioning to begin their descent down the relatively steep slope. With the Grimm turned away the two b-lined for a large rock a short distance away from their entry point to the mission zone. Backs against the wall, Scypio delivered his brief. Jumping out from either side of the rock the Nikoses engaged their target.

Pyrrha rushed past the creature catching its attention before Scypio unleashed _Imperium_ onto its rear, right leg. A wail escaped the scorpion-like monster before it turned around to focus on the perceived bigger threat. Its attention was diverted once again, the creature utterly at a loss of what to do as Pyrrha had begun to shoot at its tail with _Miló_ in its rifle form. What little patience the Grimm had was lost and it began a rampaging charge towards the young Huntress forcing her to make a retreat. Scypio saw events unfolding and was determined to get the death stalker back focused on himself. At the click of a button his sword swung around and compressed in many manners before what was left was a pistol which he immediately put to use. The rampage towards his sister continued however, a rampage which was made worse by Pyrrha's decision to fight back.

"Pyrrha! Keep running!" Scypio shouted out knowing full well he couldn't stop his own sister and began running towards the fight with _Imperium_ returning to its sword form. Pyrrha reached him quicker than he could reach her though. Her unconscious body was flung towards him by a left clawed swat away. The young man dropped the weapon and rushed over falling to his knees trying to tend to Pyrrha. He rolled his injured sibling onto her back, his right hand grasping her left shoulder and begged her to wake up as the death stalker turned and maliciously, almost maniacally, began to trundle towards the pair.

It was at that moment that Scypio's questions were answered. His body began glowing with his natural, silver aura before tinting with a red eerily similar to his sister's. He rose to his feet, eyes closed, and faced the Grimm which stopped dead in its tracks. Though he wasn't to know it, Scypio's eyelids opened to reveal not vivid green, but brilliant scarlet colored pupils. The death stalker was meant to breed of fear yet it was now paralyzed with the very emotion it fed off. The young Huntsman had no time to question what was happening and proceeded on pure instinct alone, reaching out for Pyrrha's Xiphos and much to his internal amazement had it reach his hand almost as if he now harnessed his sister's semblance.

Just about regaining her senses, Pyrrha's first sight was that of her brother walking with confidence towards a monster neither had the right skills to fight. Her consciousness wavered, eyes struggling to remain open. He parried the monster. Then he was closer to her, reaching out to his right. _Akoúo̱_ was now in his grasp before he threw it like a discus towards its stinger, cutting it clean off, before summoning it back to his grasp. The will to stay awake grew harder still yet before the young girl faded away into blackness once again, she saw her brother leaping towards the stalker, _Imperium_ in hand.

When next she awoke, Pyrrha shot upwards in a Sanctum ward bed. Gazing over to the window, it was night time and the moon shone brightly through as a stream of light. She followed it downwards onto a figure asleep in a chair at the end of her bed. It was Scypio. His front chest piece was slashed and he looked worn out but thankfully okay. Whatever his state his sleep certainly wasn't that deep otherwise he wouldn't have been disturbed by Pyrrha's movement. Awaking to the sight of his sister recovering, he rushed up out of his chair and gently hugged her. There was lots to discuss but now was not the time. At the doorway, the friendly face of Aera appeared. Her ever evolving style had led her to embracing a softer look of late; honey blonde hair, highlighted by a navy blue dye, resting on her shoulder.

"Come on, champ. I'm sure Pyrrha will be just fine with a night of sleep." She was more genuine than ever, her instinctive sarcasm seemingly a thing of the past.

Scypio nodded and gave his sister a kiss on the forehead.

"Love you." He couldn't remember the last time he had uttered those words.

"Love you also." She struggled to remember also.

He smiled and turned away, joining Aera at the door before closing it behind them. The two best friends strolled back towards their year's wing.

"So, what did you tell the teachers?" One talent that had remained with Aera was her innate ability to be incredibly nosy.

"Pyrrha found the target at roughly 2:30pm and we were attacked by a death stalker soon after which she battled with outstanding bravery."

This irked Aera intensely who was sharp to quicken her pace and stand in front of the tired teenager. She looked up into his eyes seeing less fire than usual.

"Scypio. You are a charming and caring individual but _come on_. You've just placed all the praise onto her with not an ounce for yourself. Why o-"

"Because, Aera, she is going to go on and become one of the greats. It doesn't matter how much any of us train or study, she will be better than us. The least I can do as her brother is ensure that she doesn't have a blight on her record saying that she careless dismissed my command in battle."

"Scypio." The young archer had noticed tensions between the two siblings growing steadily but cared more deeply for the young man who was almost like a brother she could call her own. "You don't have to accept defeat."

"I'm jealous, envious and angry, Aera. My semblance, at least from what I've been able to gather, is to copy other semblances for a short amount of time. I don't have anything unique and at the end of the year she'll take away my title of youngest Mistral Regional Tournament winner as well. You watch, I know she will. The least I can do is make the most of it for my sister's sake. At least she'll take the glory."

Aera let out a long sigh before giving Scypio a long hug. She only hoped that he was tired and that his emotions were getting the better of him tonight. The two continued to stroll onwards back to their dorms turning their attention to more jovial topics such as the leavers' ball next year.

Behind them, a gently crying Pyrrha closed the door once more.


End file.
